Rural Economy

Best of BS Opinion: New rural jobs law will bring significant changes

Today's wrap looks at the new rural jobs law, the push to open civil nuclear power to private investors, a US strategic reset, RBI's views on bank ownership, and a book on American power

UP clears food processing proposals worth ₹10K cr to boost rural economy

The state has achieved a 98 per cent bank loan approval rate under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, the highest in the country

Villages now lead India's manufacturing output, urban share falls below 50%

The latest Annual Survey of Industries 2023-24 shows that it was at 49.5 per cent, the fourth year in a row that urban areas have been a minority contributor to manufacturing output

Uttar Pradesh govt plans to groom over 500K women micro entrepreneurs

The enterprises will take shape in the hinterland with the Yogi Adityanath government offering training, credit and marketing support across 75 districts

Indian firms turn to small-town markets insulated from US tariffs

Consumption growth in India's countryside has outpaced that in urban markets for six straight quarters, according to data analytics firm NielsenIQ

Retail inflation eases to 3.73% for farm, 3.86% for rural workers in March

Retail inflation for farm workers eased to 3.73 per cent in March 2025, as compared to 4.05 per cent in February this year, as per latest data released on Wednesday. For rural workers retail inflation eased to 3.86 per cent in March 2025, as against 4.10 per cent in February this year, according to official data. The All-India Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) decreased by 3 points and 2 points, for the month of March 2025, falling to 1,306 and 1,319 points, respectively, a labour ministry statement said. The CPI-AL and CPI-RL were at 1,309 points and 1,321 points respectively in February 2025. "The year-on-year inflation rates based on CPI-AL and CPI-RL for March 2025 were recorded at 3.73 per cent and 3.86 per cent, respectively, compared to 7.15 per cent and 7.08 per cent in March 2024. The corresponding figures for February 2025 stood at 4.05 per cent for CPI-AL and 4.10 per cent for CPI-RL," it stated.

India needs strong veterinary infra to boost rural economy: Union minister

India needs stronger veterinary infrastructure and skills to support its rural economy, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying S P Singh Baghel said on Saturday. Speaking at a national workshop marking World Veterinary Day, Baghel called veterinarians "the backbone of the rural economy" and stressed the need for collaboration among veterinary professionals, scientists and public health experts to ensure integrated health approaches, an official statement said. India houses over 536 million livestock, the world's largest population, with nearly 70 per cent of rural households depending on animals for income, food and security, he said. Baghel highlighted the importance of indigenous livestock breeds, which are adapted to local climate conditions and crucial for sustainable production systems. He advocated for advanced reproductive technologies, particularly sex-sorted semen and in vitro fertilization (IVF), to enhance productivity. The minister praised

If agri growth rate rises, rural youth won't migrate to cities: Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised the need to increase agriculture growth rate and purchasing power in rural India to prevent migration of rural youth to cities. Addressing an event here, Gadkari said currently the government's minimum support prices for agriculture crops are way higher then commercial market prices. "If agriculture growth rate increases then rural youth will not be forced migrate to metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai for livelihood," he said. According to him, the growth rate in agriculture will lead to increase in purchasing power of rural population. Gadkari also emphasised the need for more intensive use of bamboo resources in the country, saying bamboo can create employment opportunities and contribute to rural development. He pointed out that the use of bamboo in the energy sector will help India in reducing import of fossils fuels. Gadkari said bamboo has the potential to be used as an alternative to coal and ca

Rural FMCG's market growth outpaces urban in Q4 as qcom sees growth

Rural market growth continued to outpace that from the urban market for the FMCG industry in the March quarter, and margins remained under pressure as prices of some key commodity inputs remained at peak levels, according to business updates by leading players. Besides, on the channel side, traditional trade (Kirana shops) continued to be under pressure, while modern trade channels, e-Commerce and Quick commerce maintained their growth momentum, said listed FMCG companies like Dabur, Marico and AWL Agri Business (formerly Adani Wilmar) in their quarterly updates. The persistent food inflation continues to impact demand in the urban market, which contributes nearly two-thirds of the total FMCG sales. However, FMCG companies are hopeful of a profitable growth in FY'26 despite the current headwind, banking on factors which include moderating retail and food inflation as well as forecasts of a normal monsoon. Homegrown FMCG firm Dabur, in its quarterly update for the fourth quarter of

Rural India spending more time on education than urban India: Survey

Time spent by women on 'learning' remained unchanged at 84 minutes during five years, while the time spent by men declined to 94 minutes from 102 minutes

Rural market at turning point with growth potential, says Marico MD & CEO

The "aspirational" rural market is at an "inflexion point, which offers significant opportunities and long-term potential to the FMCG companies with price point packs, said Marico M D & CEO Saugata Gupta. The hinterland, with its large population base and rising disposable income offers 'headroom for growth' for FMCG as people there now aspire for the same brands of products as other markets Gupta told PTI. Per capita income is on the rise, helped by the government's spending on infrastructure, and an increase in the minimum support price of crops, which has helped in a significant uplift in terms of quality of life for the rural class, he said. "So, I believe that this is an inflexion point, said Gupta adding "for the large FMCG players this is an opportunity to continue to invest in rural because if you really look at it, everybody is chasing that same urban consumer whether it's D2C brands or international brands. Marico is present in the rural markets with price point packs ..

PVs in top gear as rural growth back on track; inventory levels decline

OEMs feel consumption in this segment will continue to grow this year

Charting a new growth path: Budget sets sights on greener pastures

Uncertain rainfall remains a significant challenge

Union Budget 2025-26: Efforts made to revitalise agri, rural economy

A Nabard survey shows a sharp rise in the share of agricultural households in the rural sector with the numbers shooting up from 48 per cent in 2016-17 to 56.7 per cent in 2021-22

Budget 2025: Rs 1.88 trn for rural sector, MGNREGS allocation unchanged

The Rural Development Ministry has been allocated Rs 1.88 lakh crore in the Union Budget for 2025-26, around 5.75 per cent more than the allocation in the previous budget. According to the budget proposals made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, the Rural Development Ministry has been earmarked Rs 1,77,566.19 crore against Rs 1,77,566.19 crore allocated in the Budget for 2024-25. However, the 2024-25 Revised Estimate, a midyear review of the expenditure done by the ministry, stood at Rs 1,73,912.11 crore, Rs 3,654.08 crore fewer than the initial allocation. The allocation for flagship rural employment scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Development Scheme (MGNREGS) was Rs 86,000 crore, the same as the last year. In 2023-24, the allocation for MGNREGS was Rs 60,000 crore, but additional funds were provided and the actual expenditure stood at Rs 89,153.71 crore, the Budget document showed. No additional allocations for MGNREGS were made in 2024-25. The scheme provi

Rural roots, digital wings: The new trajectory for India's financial sector

With the right blend of policy support, technological advancements and customer-centric strategies, India's financial sector is ready to play a pivotal role in the nation's journey toward sustainable

PM Modi to issue over 5.8 million SVAMITVA property cards in virtual event

Over 58 lakh property cards providing 'Record of Rights' will be issued for owners in over 50,000 villages across 12 states and union territories on Friday at a virtual event which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials of Panchayati Raj Ministry said on Wednesday. At least 13 union ministers will meanwhile address events in different states where the property cards will be distributed, officials said. SVAMITVA Scheme, which was launched in 2020, aims at providing a "Record of Rights" to every property owner in the Village Abadi area. Officials from the Panchayati Raj Ministry said the virtual event, which will be addressed by the Prime Minister, property cards will be issued to 58 lakh property owners in approximately 50,000 villages across 10 states - Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and two Union Territories- Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. Meanwhile, several union ministers w

Urban demand needs an upward spiral: ITC Executive Director Bhargavan

Company is focusing on multi-dimensional levers to drive growth while staying the course on product launches, says ITC's Executive Director Bhargavan

Rural India's appetite for FMCG grows by 60%; what's behind the surge?

The Kantar and GroupM study highlights a nearly 60 per cent growth in the average FMCG basket size for rural consumers, increasing from 5.8 in 2022 to 9.3 in 2024

UP govt holds talks with World Bank to boost agri, rural enterprise

The Uttar Pradesh government, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and the World Bank on Friday held negotiations for the Rs 3,903 crore Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening project. The negotiations were held in New Delhi with Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh representing the state government, according to a statement here. The six-year project aims to revitalise the state's agriculture and allied sectors, enhance productivity and link smallholder farmers to high-value commodity clusters. Singh outlined the project's pivotal role in advancing the state's vision to achieve a trillion-dollar economy by 2030, it said. He highlighted that the project will support high-value crop clusters and establish a stronger fisheries ecosystem, with particular focus on the state's eastern and Bundelkhand regions, it added. The project will also create a digital agriculture platform to provide real-time insights to farmers, helping optimise resources